Win Scutt - Archaeologist, Broadcaster, Lecturer and Heritage Tourism Advisor


Summary

Win Scutt is Assistant Properties Curator (West) for English Heritage curating sites from Cornwall to Cheshire. He was formerly Education Manager for the South West, where he was responsible for managing, implementing and evaluating education activity at English Heritage sites in Gloucestershire, Bristol, Somerset, Wiltshire, Dorset, Devon and Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly including free educational visits; Discovery visits and volunteering; delivering the Education Strategy and wider English Heritage objectives.

Win was appointed Development Officer for the Drake's Place Gardens and Reservoir project at Plymouth University to develop a bid for £600,000 to the Heritage Lottery Fund. Following the success of the application, he was appointed Community Engagement Officer for the Drake's Place Project.

He is a regular broadcaster, contributing weekly features to BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio Devon, BBC Radio Cornwall, BBC Radio Jersey and BBC Radio Guernsey. He also presents television programmes on archaeology. More...


FIELD ARCHAEOLOGY

Win's interest in archaeology began at the age of 7 when he started to collect coins. By the age of 10 he had become proficient in the identification of coins, particularly of the Roman period. While at school at Downside, Somerset he was Chairman of the Archaeological Society and conducted fieldwork on prehistoric, Roman and Industrial sites, including excavations of the Roman Fosseway.

On leaving school in 1973 he worked on excavations of the Roman Baths at Aachen, Germany under Dr Hugot; at Ilchester, Somerset, England under Peter Leech of the Committee for Rescue Archaeology in Avon, Gloucestershire and Somerset; at the excavations of Hamwih, the Saxon settlement of Southampton, England under Philip Holdsworth for Southampton Archaeology; at the Saxon settlement of Chalton, Hampshire, England under Dr Tim Champion; and at Bronze and Iron Age sites on the planned route of the M3 motorway in Hampshire, England under Peter Fasham for MARC3.

While studying Archaeology under Professor Colin Renfrew at the University of Southampton from 1974-77, Win developed his field skills at the excavations of Bayard's Castle and the Roman river wall at Puddledock in London for the Museum of London; at the excavation of a Saxon building at Thirlings, Northumberland for Roger Miket; at the excavations of the important Middle Palaeolithic site at Red Barns, Portchester, Hampshire, England under Clive Gamble. Win was employed as an Assistant Site Supervisor at Colin Renfrew's excavations of the Bronze Age city of Phylakopi, Melos, Greece in 1975; then as  Site Supervisor on the excavations, directed by Roger Mercer, of the Neolithic Causewayed Enclosure of Hambledon Hill, Iwerne Courteney (Shroton), Dorset from 1975 to 1977; and as Site Supervisor at the excavations of a Late Neolithic Henge at Yeavering in the Milfield basin of Northumberland, England in 1976 under Dr Antony Harding.

During the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s Win worked on excavations at Hambledon Hill, Dorset, England; the Bronze Age field systems and settlement at Holne Moor, Dartmoor, Devon, England under Dr Andrew Fleming; for the Shaugh Moor Project, Dartmoor, England under Dr Geoffrey Wainwright; and at the excavations of the medieval buildings around Buckfast Abbey in Devon, England under Stewart Brown. As Chairman of the Plymouth and District Archaeological Society (1979-1989), he ran the South Hams Field Survey from 1978 to 1980. In 1987 Win conducted a rescue excavation of a Bronze Age site in Liskeard, Cornwall. He has been collaborating with the Shovel Down Project near Chagford, Dartmoor since 2003 with Dr Joanne Brück, Dr Robert Johnston and Helen Wickstead.

From 2006 to 2009, Win worked with the Stonehenge Riverside Project.


CURATORIAL PRACTICE

In 1978, Win was appointed Assistant Keeper of Archaeology and Local History at Plymouth City Museums and Art Gallery. Between 1978 and 1988, he reorganised the storage of the substantial collections of Ethnography, Social History, Photographic, Egyptology and Archaeology, while cataloguing many thousands of unaccessioned items. He ran an enquiry and identification service to members of the public and organised a series of exhibitions including "Plymouth Bottles" (1978), "The Siege of Plymouth" (1980), "Signs of the Past" and "The Archaeology of Cornwall". In 1984 he organised the complete redisplay of the Merchants House, 33 St Andrew Street, Plymouth, as a museum of Plymouth's social history. Each of the eight rooms was designed around the occupations in the old counting rhyme "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor....". This innovative approach allowed many hundreds of artefacts previously unseen in the City Museum's reserve collections, to go on display.

Win revived the Plymouth and District Archaeological Society in 1979 and was Chairman until 1989. He served as Secretary to the Council for British Archaeology Group 13 (South West Region) from 1990 to 1994. He was Assistant Editor of the journal Cornish Archaeology from 1979 to 1981.


tourism and heritage management

In 1987, Win was recruited to the design team of a project to build a state-of-the-art Visitor Centre on Plymouth Hoe. Working with Robin Wade Pat Reid Design Associates of London, alongside local historian Crispin Gill, and researcher Diana Gower, Win helped the £3.5 million project to come to fruition as "Plymouth Dome" in March 1989. He was appointed Assistant Manager in 1988, and became Manager in 1993. He was Chairman of the Plymouth Attractions Group and the South Devon Association of Tourist Attractions.

In 1996, Win was seconded to Mount Edgcumbe House and Country Park to act as General Manager.

Between 1989 and 1998, when Win left Plymouth Dome, the centre established itself as the leading heritage attraction in South West England, attracting an average of 150,000 visitors each year, with a £660,000 annual turnover and winning 12 major awards. Win was responsible for organising the Sustainable Tourism and Tourism for All initiatives - the latter winning national recognition with an England for Excellence Award - one of the English Tourism Oscars - in 1992.


broadcasting ARCHAEOLOGY

Win Scutt has featured in numerous TV and Radio programmes. In 1980 he contributed to the Television South West (TSW) series "The Phoenix and the Leviathan" (prod. Frank Wintle) which examined past and present attitudes in Plymouth, England. With fellow folk musician Kathy Wallis, he also provided the title and theme music for the programmes, including "The Brewer's Dray" which he wrote.

In the early 80s he contributed a regular feature on Plymouth Sound radio with presenter Louise Churchill, called "Time Teasers".

In 1984 he became "Dr Cobweb" appearing every week on TSW's children's television show "Freeze Frame" inviting viewers to identify mystery objects from museum collections.

In 1990 he presented "Into the Underworld" a half-hour programme on Television South West (TSW) about underground places in South West England.

In 2001 he presented "Lundy: Rebels and Recluses" for Carlton Westcountry Television. The programme tells the story of pirates such as Marisco, and later owners of this enigmatic island in the Bristol Channel.

He has been a weekly contributor on BBC Radio Devon since 1988, talking about local history and archaeology on various programmes including Gordon Sparks' Plymouth Breakfast Show. He has also contributed to BBC Local Radio across the South West on the Tony Gillham Show, and to programmes on BBC Radio Scotland, BBC Radio Stoke and BBC Belfast.

He is currently to be heard on BBC Radio in the South West on Vic Morgan's Late Show every Monday at 22.30.

Win has been presenting a weekly 15 minute feature on BBC Radio Five Live as part of Tuesday's "Up All Night" programme since 2002. For this programme, he was awarded the Press Award in the British Archaeological Awards 2006.

In 2008, Win was diving into the world of Underwater Archaeology with a series for BBC World Service.  In "What Lies Beneath" a two part documentary, for BBC World Service "The Changing World", Win plunges underwater to explore the archaeological wealth that lies at the bottom of the sea and to uncover how anarchy reigns when it comes to retrieving it. The programmes, first broadcast in August 2008, are now available online.


community

Win joined the Port of Plymouth Junior Chamber of Commerce, part of British Junior Chamber, the leadership and management training organisation, in 1983, and served as Public Relations Officer, Vice President Community, Vice President Chamber Development, Deputy President, and in 1989-90, President. He was conferred the honour of Senator, the highest recognition by Junior Chamber International (JCI), in 1996.

In 1992 he visited Northern Nigeria as part of a Rotary International Group Study Exchange.

In 2005, Win joined Plympton Rotary Club, part of Rotary District 1290. From 2008 to 2009 he was Chairman of Youth Opportunities for District 1290. He became President of Plymouth Rotary Club in June 2013.

Win was a member of the Independent Broadcasting Authority's Local Advisory Committee on Local Radio in the 1980s and became Chairman in 1986 representing the Plymouth area at national meetings.

He was also a member, then Chairman, of Plymouth College of Art and Design's Advisory Committee on Graphics and Communication Design during the 1980s.

He was Chairman of Plymouth Architectural Trust from 1997 to 2008 and again since 2012.


education

From 1998 to 2010 Win was a lecturer at City College Plymouth, where he taught Archaeology, Tourism, Leisure and Business Studies. He was Programme Leader for the Foundation Degree in Tourism and established and managed the Foundation Degree in Archaeological Practice validated by the University of Plymouth. As a member of the Plymouth-Ghana Link, he visited Ghana twice in 2007: in February as part of a delegation from City College Plymouth and Greenwich Community College developing Tourism Education and Training in Sekondi Takoradi and Tema, a project funded by the Prime Minister's Initiative; and in June to facilitate work placements for seven Foundation Degree Tourism students who worked there for a month. 

A video of the February visit is available at Google Video while photographs are available on Picasa. Two more videos showing a visit to Nzelezu, the lake village on stilts, and to Sekondi Fishing Harbour is available at Google Video.

Win returned to Ghana in 2010 with another group of Tourism students.

In February 2011 Win took up a new post with English Heritage as Education Manager South West, where he is responsible for managing, implementing and evaluating education activity at South West  English Heritage sites in Gloucestershire, Bristol, Somerset, Wiltshire, Dorset, Devon and Cornwall, including free educational visits; Discovery visits and volunteering; delivering the Education Strategy and wider English Heritage objectives.

Win has also been working part-time with Plymouth University as Development Officer for the Drake's Place Gardens and Reservoir Project. This wonderful site in the heart of Plymouth comprises a 19th century and a secluded garden created on the site of Sir Francis Drake's mills.

In September 2012, Win took up a new position as Assistant Properties Curator (West) with English Heritage.

NEWS

2011-2-14
World Archaeology News

Find out about the latest archaeological news from around the world as reported every Tuesday on BBC Radio Five Live by Win Scutt more

2007-6-19
Want to Study Archaeology Online?

You can study Archaeology GCSE 'A' Level from home using online materials and expert tutorial support. There is also advice on Archaeology degree courses in the UK. Find out more by following the Learning link. more

2006-11-4
British Archaeological Awards 2006

Announced at the British Archaeological Awards ceremony in Birmingham on 6th November: Win Scutt's weekly BBC Radio Five Live archaeology slot has won the Wedgwood Press Award. more


The great debate on the origins of Britain's early languages has started. Find out the latest news and how you can learn more by following this link.

If you're curious about archaeology, but a total beginner, this site will show you how to find out. Here you'll find advice on good books, weblinks and courses. You can even study 'A' Level Archaeology online.

Hear the latest archaeological news from around the world, tune in to Win Scutt on BBC Radio Five Live every Tuesday morning at 3.35. Or you can listen online to the broadcast up to seven days after by clicking on this link.

Website by Win Scutt

Win Scutt is an archaeologist, lecturer and broadcaster based in Devon, UK.

 
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